Are you thinking about ways to shorten your sales cycle? One way to extend your sales call beyond what it should be is to call on the wrong person. Make sure that you’ve identified the decision maker(s) early in the sales process. Ask the question, “Who along with you makes the decision to buy?” That answer confirms you’re talking to a decision maker. Ask questions to learn the decision making process. Then check that you are calling on an ideal prospect. How do you know? You’ve asked the questions that uncover a customer need or want.